The present invention is concerned with the problem of securing a line such as a rope or chain to a relatively-remote eye member, such as one attached to or otherwise forming a part of an item to be secured. The invention is principally concerned with assemblies for securing a large boat to a mooring buoy or dock or other fixture which is beyond the reach of the boat personnel. However, the invention is also useful for securing a line to any relatively-remote eye member, such as attaching gymnastic ropes to a ceiling, attaching salvage ropes to items which are submerged but within view, etc.
For marine use, it is well-known that it is difficult to attach and detach a tie line to a mooring buoy in cases where a boat is not small enough to permit the user to reach down and manually fasten or unfasten the carabiner or spring-urged clip which secures the tie line to the mooring buoy. Where the freeboard is large, the boatsman must use a long boat hook or gaff to reach down and snag the mooring buoy and lift it up to a height where he can manually snap or unsnap the mooring line clip or carabiner from the buoy eye member. Since buoys for large boats are large and are attached to heavy mooring chains, it is not possible for many boat personnel, such as children and the elderly, to attach or detach a mooring line for a large boat.
Also, in the absence of dockside assistance, it can be difficult and dangerous to dock a large boat during stormy conditions and/or in close proximity to other boats. The ability to fasten tie lines to the dock while the boat is still spaced therefrom by several feet is of great assistance, as is the ability to retain one or more tie lines to the dock for unfastening when the boat is safely spaced therefrom and from other boats during departure.
A remote control line attachment assembly is commercially-available under the trademark Kong Mooring Hook. Such assembly comprises a slide member designed to be attached to a conventional elongate boat hook and to retain a carabiner in open position. This enables the carabiner to be extended out into position to engage the eye member of a mooring buoy or dock, whereupon the elongate boat hook is pulled back to cause the carabiner to close and lock to the eye member. However, the assembly cannot be used to open or detach the carabiner from the eye member. Another assembly, available under the trademark Happy Hooker, is useful for remotely-threading a line through an eye member and for drawing the free end of the line back into the boat. However, such assembly includes separable parts which can become disengaged during use, causing loss of control. Also, such assembly requires that a specific extension thereof must be manually guided through the eye member, which is difficult when the water is rough and/or visibility is poor.